Woman behind street parties to 'celebrate' death of Margaret Thatcher named

The woman behind an internet campaign to organise street parties to
“celebrate” the death of Baroness Thatcher has been identified as a Romany
Blythe, a 45-year-old community drama teacher from south London.

Ms Blythe has been rallying fellow protesters through a group on Facebook she has set up called The Witch is Dead, which has more than 5,000 members and calls for “demonstrations of disapproval” across the country. A number of places listed on the site were locations of riots and demonstrations that took place on Monday, including Bristol city centre and George Square in Glasgow.

The University of East London graduate teaches drama and arts and has worked with a workshop company that visits secondary schools.

She specialises in “facilitating workshops for young, excluded and potentially criminalised individuals and uses drama techniques she has developed to explore resolution of conflict and oppression”, according to the company’s website.

She claimed she had invited more than 5,300 people to a “flash party” to mark Lady Thatcher’s passing, with the message: “Anyone else like to join us?”

The Facebook page reads: “Come and celebrate our liberty and freedom from tyranny! On the day Maggie stands down, once and for all!” She appears in photographs posing alongside Tony Benn, the former cabinet minister, and Owen Jones, the Left-wing writer.

Speaking to The Telegraph yesterday, Ms Blythe said her dislike of the former prime minister came from being told she might never find work on leaving school in 1984.

She said her father was a “Leftie”, while her mother voted for Lady Thatcher. She describes herself as a Labour supporter, but hopes it will return to being a party of the people before she votes Labour again.

Ms Blythe said the parties would be targeted at Lady Thatcher’s policies and did not intend to “gloat” at her passing. It’s not about gloating and being mean. It’s about using that date to reflect on the past, however unfortunate that day may be for some people,” she said.

“She has family and they will grieve. She’s not the enemy right now; her legacy is the enemy.

“I’m calling for a peaceful demonstration of disapproval and letting the Government know we’re not stupid and we haven’t been brainwashed by more prosperous times since then.”

She described the protests as a “group catharsis”, for “survivors of the Thatcher years” and likened them to sufferers of post traumatic stress disorder.

Anarchist groups have warned of more mass protests on Saturday, with 2,000 to 3,000 people expected to attend.

The events, at 25 locations across the country, are being organised by a group called Class War, with the help of other organisations such as the All London Anarchist Revolutionary Mob, which says it is “committed to radical action to undermine the state”.

Ian Bone, who set up Class War, said that protesters plan on Saturday night to hang an effigy of Lady Thatcher on the fourth plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square, which has been suggested as a site for a possible statue for the former prime minister.

He said: “There's a large papier mache statue of Thatcher being done that will be toppled. It will be similar to the size of the Saddam Hussein one, ideally in Trafalgar Square."

"It will be quite simply a celebration party. I expect to see hand made banners and signs. It's not a march, not a protest. We want to celebrate the end of Thatcher. I imagine it will go long into the night, There's no intention of violence.I think it will be joyful and great.

"The depth of dislike and hatred for Thatcher is big. We know some miners are coming down from South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.”

Scotland Yard has said they are aware of planned events around Trafalgar Square and are preparing an “appropriate” plan to counter any possible trouble.

The force has already launched a major operation to counter threats of disorder in the run up to her funeral next week.

All further leave for officers has been cancelled and operations are being run from a special command and control operations room in Lambeth.